Sole ownership, which costs an average of £23,177 a year, has declined.

So in sole ownership cases it was upon the non-owner to show that he had any interest at all.

But they do not want large chunks of that knowledge to be under sole ownership.

Powerful interested parties, from conservation bodies and landowners to farmers and field sports organisations, are vying to divest themselves of blame and claim sole ownership of the solution.

He obtained sole ownership of the newspaper within a few years, possibly as early as 1837.